On the site of the previous parking lot of the adjacent senior housing, this project brings 92 new affordable units to Oakland plus—in an embedded garage—ample parking for both developments.
The new building provides homes for seniors and formerly homeless seniors just one block from the renovated Lake Merritt waterfront, as well as within walking range of parks, playgrounds, restaurants, and shops.
The west-facing main courtyard opens toward the street and is warmed by afternoon sun. The private courtyard is visible to passersby, creating a balance between security and transparency and connecting the building to the life of the larger neighborhood.
One of the many uses of the flexible wellness room. Image: Mariko Reed
Rooftop Community Suite
The building is topped by a fifth-floor suite of community spaces, including garden plots for residents, a community room and kitchen, outdoor decks, and a wellness studio—all with spectacular lake and city views.
Ground level units have stoops to engage the public realm.
Fifth-floor plan featuring rooftop community spaces. Image: David Baker Architects
Site plan. Image: David Baker Architects
Plans
The mid-size building mass is broken into two volumes that step down, creating a transition between the existing high-rises and low-scale residences. At the upper level, a bridge spans the courtyard, connecting the two residential blocks. Throughout, breakout nooks provide places for seniors to gather outside of their units. The new building activates the street edge with three lobbies as well as stoop units that connect directly to the surrounding sidewalks.
Watch the video to meet some of the residents and learn more about Creativity Explored and the Lakeside art program.
The design used a wide range of complementary sustainable strategies—from simple to technical—to achieve LEED Platinum certification. Image: David Baker Architects
Lakeside Senior Apartments has won a 2019 AIA COTE Top Ten Award— the Committee on the Environment's highest honor—which highlights projects that meet their rigorous criteria for social, economic, and ecological value.
Click here for the COTE showcase, looking at the building across the categories of Integration, Community, Ecology, Water, Economy, Energy, Wellness, Resources, Change, and Discovery.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 Unported License. 
